“H-He’s the one from the festival. The one who sent the two men after me,” she whispered just loud enough for Seth to hear, though he had a feeling she wasn’t addressing anyone in particular.
Seth closed his eyes and exhaled. “I know,” he answered anyway, the truth killing him.
“You know?” Natti cut her gaze to him, pushed herself farther back, and slapped his hand away from her. “Seth, what the hell is going on? What do you want?”
Sean stepped forward. “It’s all right, my child.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Seth watched Sean place a hand on Natti’s thigh. Natti gave a startled squeal, and Seth smacked Sean’s wrist as he jumped up.
“Don’t touch her!”
“Natti!” Natti’s father rushed to his daughter’s side. “Natti, are you okay?”
A petite nurse in teal scrubs dashed into the room. “Is there a problem in here?” Her eyes flickered between Seth and his father, observing their tension and rage toward each other. “Do I have to remind you all this is a hospital? This young woman needs her rest.”
Sean quickly glanced at Natti and her father, and then flashed an enchanting smile. Natti sucked in a breath through her gritted teeth and rubbed her temples.
“I meant no harm,” Sean told them.
Sean’s charm was thick and heavy, powerful enough to send Alexander’s and the nurse’s mind into the enchanted fog, forcing them to gobble up his words like a treat.
“Of course not.” Natti’s father responded, his eyes glazed over. “Natti must be a bit unnerved, that’s all.”
With panic in her eyes, Natti gazed up at her father. “Dad, he just—”
“We understand,” Sean interrupted, and then glanced at the nurse. “My son and I were just leaving anyway.”
“Son?” Natti’s eyes shot to Seth. He lowered his head and nodded to the floor.
Sean’s Italian shoes clicked across the laminate floor toward the door. “Come along, Seth.”
Seth glanced from Sean to Natti, his mind racing. He finally approached Natti and pulled her into his arms for a hug. Her muscles tensed, but she didn’t withdraw or shove him away. Seth brushed her hair behind her ear and whispered, “Don’t speak about what happened to anyone, Natti. Please! I’ll be back for you. I promise.”
Her tension soared from his words, making him realize she was just as scared of him as she was of his father. But unlike his father, he had no intent to hurt her. If fact, he was going to save her. “Just trust me,” he said softly.
Natti’s voice was low and firm. “Seth. What. Is. Going. On?”
“Seth!” Sean’s deep, commanding voice caused him to flinch. “Come!”
Seth let a growl escape from his throat, his rage stirring. He gathered up Natti’s hands, giving them a slight touch of comfort from his charm. “I’ll explain later. I swear.” He brushed his finger along her lower lip and said in a hush voice, “Just keep your pretty mouth shut.”
Her hands were trembling by the time he let go. He sensed her fear on the rise. He truly wished he could do more for her. To take her into his arms and use his magic to calm her system. However, the best thing at that moment was for him to act on formulating a plan and for her to just keep quiet. Turning back to follow Sean, Seth came to a stop in front of the nurse. He took a quick glance at her name tag when an idea came to him.
“Excuse me, Julie.” He laid on the charm, causing the nurse to start heaving and her face to become dreamy. Seth smiled and jerked his head toward Natti. “My friend is a little uneasy after everything that has happened. And, well . . . I understand you’re busy, but would you mind staying with her and her father? It would really mean a lot to me.”
It didn’t take much convincing to shift Julie’s mind toward the answer he wanted. She simply nodded and responded, “Of course.”
“Perfect. Um, also, if anything happens. Anything at all. Would you give me a call?” He took her hand and the pen from her scrub pocket, scribbling down ten digits. “Here’s my cell.”
She looked at the number with a giggle. “Absolutely. I will contact you with any news.”
Seth slipped the pen back into her pocket and strolled into the hall where Ky and Q waited. His eyes focused on the open door of Natti’s room, watching the nurse approach Natti and her father. He could feel his father’s gaze, yet he couldn’t peel his eyes away for fear Natti would disappear if she left his sight for even a moment.
“I need to pick up my car,” Seth hissed to no one in particular.
“We’ll send Geoffrey—” Sean started.
“I’d rather pick it up myself.”
“I’ll take him, Hem-netjer,” Q said behind him.
Sean hesitated for a long moment, then finally agreed. “Very well.”
Seth’s attention shot to his father, catching a sly smile crossing Sean’s lips. His eyes were settled on Natti, filled with hunger and lust. A chill ran through Seth. He was about to withdraw his request when Q patted him on the back.
“Come on, dude. Let’s pick up your wheels.”